After-New-Year's-resolutions. :)

Yes, I know this year is indeed a new one, but typically people make resolutions on or close to January 1st. I had in my mind some things I'd like to get done this year, but didn't write them out yet. So, to keep myself accountable, I'm posting some of them here, so that I can't say I didn't make any. :P Except for the first two, these are in no particular order of importance...well I guess they are, but some are pretty much "tied." But the first two are definitely priorities.

1. Serve the Lord to the best of my abilities, grow closer to Him, and discern His will for my life.

2. Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

3. Share my faith with someone at Clark. It's difficult for me to do, but God willing, I'll have the strength to do it.

4. Lose weight (I've got a Kohl's gift card to help me with this-I'm not going to spend it until I drop one clothing size. Shopping is definitely a motivator!)

5. Raise $200 for the Walk for Life this year.

6. Get closer to being a Proverbs 31 woman.

7. Memorize Ephesians 1, James 1, and Philippians 4.


I also have a few "fun" ones, but they don't take first priority. These aren't really resolutions, but just stuff I'd like to do:

8. Go shopping with a guy/guys. Seriously, that would be really cool, to be able to get a guy's opinion on certain clothes. And I'd probably have go to Cabela's or the airsoft store or something like that with them to make up for it. :P

9. Run 2 miles without stopping.

10. Sew a dress that I can can dance in- a "twirling" dress.





There are a few more, but that's about it. It's almost guaranteed that I won't get most of them done, but one can hope. :)

Finals....'nuff said

Yup, next week is the dreaded finals week, and I'm experiencing that dread right now. I've got a nice stack of note cards (see picture) that I have to go through. Mmhmm, really looking forward to it...the finals I'm specifically talking about are for a medical terminology class, and although I have most of the terms memorized, there's still a few systems I'm worried about. Do you know just how many parts, vessels, arteries, and pathways there are to your heart, and what all of their names are? Yeah, me neither. The one great thing that I'm reminded of as I even just scratch the surface of anatomy, is that God designed us with such craftsmanship. Just think of all the details that have to go in even one function, organ, or response in the body, and many of these processes going on at the same time!

I'm taking five classes next quarter, including a computer tech class, a piano class, PE, English 101, and a health class about how food affects the body or something. Don't really care about the last two, but I'm very much looking forward to the first three. :)

Is it December already? *Gulp* I don't even really want to think about Christmas. Of course I want to reflect on the reason we celebrate Christmas (or Advent) in the first place, but all the running around, and figuring out gifts, cooking, cleaning, etc. I could go without. And my birthday is coming up later this month, yikes! Don't really want to think about that either. :D In some aspects, I look forward to aging, but in other ways I still want to remain younger. Yes, I know, I'm not THAT old (yet), but it feels like my childhood was so long ago. In most ways, I look forward to growing older, but there's still that small part of me that wants to go back to the days where everything was simpler: boys had cooties(:D), college was for weird people (who'd want to do MORE school?), and summers never ended (and each day was like a lifetime). But, for everything there is a season, and that season of my life is over with. Aaaannnndddd...I'm totally babbling here, guess that's kind of what a blog is for. :)

Now if you'll excuse my, I have to go study coliolithiasis (gall bladder stones) and thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet count, which means your blood doesn't clot very well. Fun, huh?).

Wishing you all the best,

Breanna

Stand in the Rain

I am listening now to the rain pouring from the sky onto this north western land. Although I love the sound of rain, it can be an obstacle for a day's plans. Rain also has the ability to affect my mood. The thought of going from the bright, sunshine-y curtain of summer and to the dreary, gray drizzle of fall and winter can put a damper on my spirits. Why would you want to go from warmth and dryness to soaking wet and cold? The gray overtones of this coming season usually give fuel to any gloomy thoughts I may have. After all, it's hard to feel depressed when the sun is shining in all its splendor, but when the darkness comes, it makes way for gloominess, loneliness, and all those other yucky feelings. Isn't it funny how the weather can affect your mood?

But I've given rain some thought lately; first of all, it's a necessity that allows life on this planet to flourish. The rain may be an obstacle for awhile, but it is an essential weather element. In the same way, trials are necessary, to allow us to flourish and grow in our faith. James 1:2-3 says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." Those verses seem difficult to carry out at first: count all trials as joy? Didn't I learn when I was younger that trials are when bad things happen continuously and you don't know what to do about it?

Recently, I re watched the movie adaption of "Anne of Green Gables", and I agree with one of the lines:

Anne-"Marilla, have you even been in the depths of despair?
Marilla-"No. To despair is to turn your back on God."

While I don't think Marilla never faced trials ( and ignoring the fact that she's a fictional character :P ) I do agree with her definition of despair. I know that I constantly turn my back on God when I sin, and yes, when I despair. But if we really take to heart His incredible grace towards we sinners, how can we not have joy? Why do we cry out, questioning why He gives us trials, acting selfish and self-righteous? Really, we should be praising God with ever waking moment of our existence, that He gives us breath and has saved us from condemnation, and that He thought to help us at all! But instead, we let the gloom of sin get us down, and forget that we owe every breath to our Creator. In that way, we turn our backs to Him. I think the verse from James is encouraging us to grow closer to God, and thereby grow closer to pure joy.

Often, when I think of rain, and get past the "initial impressions", both the verses from James and this song com to mind. I can't figure out how to post Youtube videos on here, so I'll post the lyrics. The song is Stand in the Rain by Superchick.

She never slows down.
She doesn't know why but she knows that when she's all alone, feels like its all coming down
She won't turn around
The shadows are long and she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down

[CHORUS]
So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it's all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won't drown
And one day, whats lost can be found
You stand in the rain

She won't make a sound
Alone in this fight with herself and the fears whispering if she stands she'll fall down
She wants to be found
The only way out is through everything she's running from
Wants to give up and lie down.

[CHORUS]



While the full reason for trials may not be known, I would rather spend more time learning the full meaning of joy, and of the One from whom it comes forth. And to my joy, the rain has ceased pounding on my window.... :) But I know that when the rain returns, I'll be ready.


(disclaimer: I didn't take the title picture)

Somebody please save us, us college kids....

Well, I'm not a college kid yet, but I couldn't think of a good post title. :) I apologize for not blogging sooner, I have been kind of busy lately. School has been...hmm.....interesting. I can easily say that geometry is my least favorite current subject. It's not hard per se, it just takes some time to get used to. I'm almost done with biology, and then I'll be doing chemistry (fun....).

I have also been looking at taking classes at my local college. They have a program where juniors and sophomores have the opportunity to earn their AA degree while still finishing up high school. It's pretty cool, because, aside from paying for the text books, the tuition is free!
Switching gears, my latest really neat discovery is Picnik, an online photo editor. Aside from a few "premium" features that require a paid membership, it's free. It's really nice because you can add effects, text, stickers, colors, and frames to uploaded pictures. I'm new to it and have just been playing around, but here's a few:

Not really sure about this one, but.....

SEMPER GUMBY! (that's my church's missions team motto )

Hopefully the blogging gap won't be as long next time. I'll be doing school for a few more weeks, then I won't be quite as busy. I am definitely looking forward to summer!!

~Breanna

Spring and sunshine!!

Sorry that it's been so long since my last post. But I am still within my one month limit. ;)

The past few days, God has blessed my corner of the Northwest with sunshine and warm weather! That's certainly a rare occurance! With the appearance of the world's heat lamp also comes cute little animal babies and beautiful flower blossoms.

After taking a year or so off from raising chickens, we finally went out and got thirteen new babies!

The Stella fruit cherries are just starting to bloom:

The plum trees are beginning to add their beautiful color to our family's backyard landscape:

He y'all (again)

Well, I had abandoned my previous blog for a few months, and figuring I wouldn't ever use it again, I deleted it. But now, with a new determination, I am hoping to keep this new blog updated. When I'm not doing schoolwork or facebooking (a big time waster), I'll try to be on here, typing out some little thought I may be having for the day or week.





Honestly, it is good to be back.